Bought this 01 Jimmy a couple years back, Traded my diamond edition for a Pontiac TA about 15 years ago and regreted it. Anyway this project started with a bad hub assembly and now im here

Cv boots were toast, seals L&R no good, axle support bearings bad, no fluid just dirt and cv grease in the carrier

Now im here, diff. bearings, pinion bearings, being replaced with NTN does anyone know of a front diff. Rebuild manual of anykind, or have something that might be useful like backlash info, load specs, AAM ifs 7.25\" clamshell front having trouble finding any information

 

Can you get your hands on a GM service manual?

 

Yeah for around $150, was hoping I could find a free pdf version, or AAM manual. Did manage to find preload and backlash specs..but need to verify. Tons of info on any other differential.

 

You can try Mitchel1 DIY. They have the procedures and (I believe) the specs you are looking for.

George

 

Here's quite a bit of GM Factory assembly information (as the attachments). The menu is show to illustrate what I didn't attach. Are you really sure you want to get into this without all the special tools? I have done rears before with just a dial indicator, a wasted new pinion bearing (identical new bearing honed out to slide on/off the pinion for pinion depth checks), and pinion preload shims instead of a crush sleeve (how to reliably crush the sleeve with that much torque without the special tools) - but for the front of my Avalanche I just bought a used one on Ebay. Can't imagine splitting that front carrier apart many many times for gear contact pattern tests. Here you set pinion depth with a gauge and you're pretty much done. You are planning to replace the ring and pinion, correct? Undoubtedly they are worn if the diff was run dry and bearings are shot.

 

Just buttoned it all up, have a small makeshift "shop" nothing fancy, shop press, pullers, etc. Got it built. Just finished u-joints, steering box, ptmn,idler, tierods, all new bushings, balljoints, hub assembly, calipers, hoses, rotors...
Propeller shaft, ugly as hell, guess its next

 

 

That's extremely clean... looks good.

 

All worth it, took my time